Integrating Computer-Aided Design (CAD) applications with planning and scheduling applications has a great potential to improve and enhance the design and construction processes in the construction industry. Data interaction and file exchange between different applications are a must to accomplish such integration. This paper presents a look at the implementation of the interaction process between CAD systems and planning systems such as CPM programs. Research work at Virginia Tech in the area of developing new planning techniques based on CAD and Knowledge-based or Expert Systems technologies is given as an example to illustrate how the interaction process is viewed and implemented in the research. Recommendations and directives for optimizing the interaction process in future developments are addressed.
